White Rabbit
by ilovelucyfan
Summary: Alice had it easy in Wonderland. Alec Haynes, a struggling writer, on the other hand had just found out that Wonderland is the worst place ever. Between finding out that the White rabbit he was supposed to follow decided to shoot him right off the bat wasn't good enough, he is now stuck in a place where if one thing doesn't want to kill him, something else does. This is an AU.
1. Prologue

**So this is a revision on the first chapter I'll be revising all of the chapters as I go because either I'll think of more interesting things that I should have included but didn't or omitting things that have absolutely no relevance on the plot. So yea let me know you're comments and what not I enjoy the feedback and constructive criticism.**

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The bass blaring through the dark musky club. The thunderous sound causing the heartbeats of the occupants to race, as bodies ground and slithered against each other in a primal dance of domination. Sweat sticking to slicked skin, violence going unnoticed as the stims took effect. Mind melting, siren's song of the self-inflicted, self-destructive chaotic motions of the young minds thinking that they know best.

Blue eyes pulling themselves from the redundant scene of darwinism at its finest, the young man threw back his shot of liquid courage as the disturbance of the night life seemed to excelle. Goodbye self-destructive tendencies, hello homicidally crazed lunatics.

Incessant eyes drilling into his back shutting his eyes as the darkness of the club seemed to tunnel down towards his shuddering psyche. Hands shaking as the consuming darkness pulled and prodded at him thick tendrils covering him as the air around him seemed to dissipate, leaving the young man breathless. The tendrils slithered like a boa constrictor around his neck. He tries to reach for something in the darkness that isn't consuming him before he could reach it the echoing of something.

A distant memory perhaps. The childish laughing, the warm gentle hugs, the soft voice murmuring to him. What was it murmuring?

The cold lifeless eyes staring at him, reading into his sins of a life he tried to forget, to forgo. Hands clamping down into fists as the whiskey he was drinking began to turn blood red. As if the club had been plagued with a poltergeist everything he thought was reality began to unravel at its very seems. Jerking away from the bar the young man stumbled looking up as the darkness began to fester on the outskirts of his peripheral vision began to get bolder creating images that his minds eye shouldn't be thinking about. Creeping closer the tendril that were once holding him prisoner let go. Dissolving back into the mass that was confronting him. Mind racing as his eyes caught the only flash of white in the club he turned to follow.

Stumbling, knocking over chairs leaping over tables to follow the flash of white. Before noticing it was a head of hair, eyes following the persons movements stuck speechless when she turned. Glowing red eyes narrowed as equally red lips pulled into a smirk, before her eyes looked over his shoulder eyes following the line that she made he froze. When the consuming darkness began to erode away at the clubs interior as if it was acid. Stumbling back he turned as his eyes watched in barely contained horror as the the other patrons of the club began to undergo a twisted, demented sort of metamorphosis.

Eyes that were previously clouded by lust, and the thrill of danger were now dull and even more lifeless that the eroding walls. Faces melting off like wax in front of an open flame, revealed the bones and disfigured craniums of the Diseased.

Heads spinning around like a top, as the torsos were split open as hands began to push themselves out of the fragile skin. The sickening nauseous smell of flesh boiling as creatures pushed themselves out of their hosts and onto the decrypted tiles of the club. Blood and organs falling out of the unfortunate hosts with a sickening splat. Arms of the Diseased rotating out of their sockets as their once five individual fingers fused together to create three separate appendages, elongating into claws as black liquid dripped from the tips. The black liquid congregating in a puddle of filth before eating away at the tile and down into the concrete. Eyes widening as Alec, the young man, was frozen in place as the Diseased made their way towards him before the sound of a single gunshot echoed through the establishment.

Silence.

Hand coming up to his diaphragm as warm liquid began flowing from his wound. Eyes breaking contact with the diseased as he looked at his blood coated hand. Stumbling back, he hit the bar and slid down the side. Pressing his hand onto the wound,trying in vain to stop the bleeding. Dulled blue eyes locking onto the black bloodied face of the albino, the malicious smile still in place as her eyes seemed to light up even more with perverse joy.

The shit eating grin that she was sporting wasn't making things any better either.

The brief moment of stunned silence, then the ungodly shriek of all of the Diseased was all of the warning that was given before more shots were fired. Watching as the albino made quick work of the virtually immortal creatures. Wielding twin pistols and moving as gracefully as a dancer winding in and out, and through the Diseased. When their eyes met once more her maniacal grin was more prominent as she pointed both guns right at him and fired again. Burning red novas forever etched into his mind as he heard the distinct thuds from his sides as the Diseased fell. Black masses gurgling in his peripheral as the shrieks seemed to fade and his vision seemed to dissipate as the darkness seemed more prominent as his salvation sentenced him to the abyss. The high pitched screech of the Diseased was the only thing that jolted him from his dying stupor as the creatures seemed to pause in their assault. Heads cocked up and to the side like an obedient dog. Watching as his killer and now protector stood in front of him with her back turned to him and watched with fascination as they screeched and clawed at their own skin.

Black blood pouring from their wound as the Diseased started ripping into each other; no longer working together as one entity they turned to cannibalism. Sharp teeth tearing into leathery flesh barely covering the very bones of them. Razor sharp teeth going for the thin needle like necks and crushing each other in a never ending cannibalistic feast. Soulless sockets and unnerving grins as the previous fight suddenly became a free for all with the exception of himself and his now protector. He watched in disgust as one of the Diseased began to dissect the corpse of another, scooping out the intestines and unhinging its jaw to let the organs of its brother fall into its mouth before re-hinging its jaw and watching was the remainders of its prey slowly slide from its jaw to its neck.

Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

Not able to take the gruesome sight any more Alec leaned over to his side and purged his stomach of all of its contents. Shaking from fear, blood loss and revulsion Alec could barely focus.

Before the warning was issued nasally, gravely voice murmured into the receding darkness.

"Soon Placeholder nothing will save you."

Fuck his life.


	2. Down the Rabbit Hole

The smirk that presented itself on the albino's face and the gut churning laugh that seemed to echo off of the walls, made the last hour seem like a hellish nightmare. Staring at the woman in front of him Alec (or that was what he thought his name was at least) started to cough drawing the attention of the psychopath towards him.

Backing up as best as he could, he was stopped by a black gloved hand on his shoulder as the albino steadied him. The twin pistols snugly secured on her thighs as she examined the bullet wound. Mouth pulled into a smirk as she watched as the brunette looked down at the floor away from her eyes.

"-ust grazed you. You'll be fine _Alice_."

Just grazed she says as blood is still pouring from his stomach. Taking his blood covered hand away and thrusting it in her face eyes narrowing at the condescending smile as she pressed hard onto the open wound. Eyes widening in pain as heat pressed into the raw wound barely registering the sound of screaming before realizing that it was him. "You do make the most lovely sounds Alice. I wonder what other noises you could make." Before giving one last push and pulling away.

Panting while glaring at the psychotic albino Alec grit out through clenched teeth; "My name isn't Alice." He practically spat the word before he continued lip curling into a sneer "It's Alec, you **psychotic. Albino. Freak**."

Instead of getting angry the albino just raised a pale eyebrow at him before the soft chuckle emanated from her. "Well aren't you just adorable. Obviously you're name isn't Alice. Its your role, like how my name isn't White Rabbit it's just another deadly occupation that I just so happened to stumble across." The shit-eating grin that Alec was graced with did nothing to quell his mounting unease. "Anyways we don't have long before the Diseased start flocking towards you again its best if we keep moving. Unless you want to become the next Creature."

She stated it like that explained everything and he was an idiot for not understanding. Maybe she's right and it was that simple or, the more probable explanation, its a hell of a lot more complicated than that and she just doesn't feel like explaining it to him. Alec was dragged from his thoughts as the White Rabbit cocked her head to the side body suddenly tense; his own body responding to her tension as his nerves settled in the pit of his stomach.

Her bloody red eyes slipping closed as she rolled her shoulders hands going back to her weapons as the Darkness from before started crawling on the walls, like swiney spider legs, slowly stalking its way towards them.

Alec's eyes widened as the Creature made its way closer. Ashen grey skin, which once must have been a flawless porcelain, with black liquid pouring out of its eyes. Razor sharp teeth pulled into a sadistic smile as the darkness suctioned out all of the air. Looking down to see the abdomen of a spider along with the eight legs each of the legs seemed to cause the the ground to erode. Watching as the Creature began to slowly move towards them.

Feeling as if he was being dragged towards the abomination Alec looked down to see that the shadows were wrapping around him almost like a cocoon and the White Rabbit had disappeared yet again.

Fuck.

The gurgling gnashing sounds it was making was causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. Turning his head before the web like shadows covered his face to see the thorax of the creature split open as poison dripped from the teeth like things. They rippled with barely contained hunger, opening even wider to ingest its meal.

Alec swallowed the forming lump in his throat and began to thrash around wildly in his bindings hoping to at least dislodge the webbed hold that the Creature seemed to have. The sound of gunshots being fired caused his head to snap to the side to see the White Rabbit glare at the Creature.

"Honey, look I know you haven't gotten laid in quite some time but, you should know better than to literally drag someone to you. Its bad manners for one; and two" The White Rabbit paused before a terrifying, psychotic smile, that he was beginning to associate with her, came onto her face. "He's mine."

The tendrils that were holding Alec threw him against the wall as the Creature let out an ungodly shriek as the tendrils and the Creature both shot at White Rabbit.

Black spots shooting across his vision as he tried to pick himself up. Watching in horrified fascination as the tendrils couldn't seem to actually hit the White Rabbit. Weaving in and out of the deadly webbing and dodging the monstrous spider-snake-zombie-thing.

She bounced from stop to spot with such effortless grace. Moving her twin pistols to block some oncoming attacks, the clash of the metal on the tendrils as the Creature shrieked out in pain as a well placed bullet found its shoulder. Before the creature managed to spear its tendril through the shoulder of the White Rabbit. The resulting scream caused Alec to freeze in forming a makeshift web as the Creature avoided most of the attacks despite the notable size difference.

The disgusting smile that seemed to be in place as the Creature crawled up its tendrils to the White Rabbit pinned to the far corner. "Pretty delicious rabbit. A delicious carrier for my eggs."

'Eew. At least it just wanted to eat me'

The Creature spun itself upside down and stared at the White Rabbit still rambling to itself. Head cocked to the side as the White Rabbit hung lax, a Clawed hand took the chin of the White Rabbit between it's index and thumb as its mouth opened and the terrifying teeth were once again bared.

Time seemed to still as the pistol locked into the Creatures mouth and the White Rabbit pulled the trigger. The creature fell to the ground black blood and brains falling with the mangled corpse, that broke through the flooring and into the darkness. Watching as the tendrils that were the only things supporting the White Rabbit disappeared with its master. The White Rabbit fell to the ground without the painful support of the tendrils. Crashing onto the top of the bar with a pained groan. Hand pressing into the bleeding wound on her shoulder.

Scrambling to get out of the way of the crumbling floor Alec didn't make it. Tendrils curling around his ankle to use him as some sort of anchor for the Creature caused his ankle to let out a disgustingly loud pop. Alec let out a scream of pain as the body mass of the Creature seemed to grow and continue to pull on him. Actually being able to feel his ligaments start to separate from his bones Alec closed his eyes and tried to pull himself up.

Where is that God-Damned-Rabbit!

The sudden release of his ankle had him pulled up onto more stable ground. Looking up to see the White Rabbit, that was becoming really hard to keep track of, helping to pull him up.

Alec looked at the White Rabbit before down in the abyss. Noticing his line of sight White Rabbit sighed before cupping his face in her hands.

"I'm not going to let them drag you down. Not now, Not ever."

Alec gave a humorless laugh at that. Hands gripping his hair as his whole world started to crumble down around him.

"What the fuck is wrong with this place?! It's almost like everything here wants to kill me!" Alec's hands shook as the images of the Creature came into the forefront of his mind.

"It's a game."

Jerking his head towards the rabbit he really looked at her.

Eyes hollow from the bullshit hand that she had been dealt. The lacerations from the fight.

Wait. How the hel-

"The Creatures have a different effect on different Placeholders I get a lot more speed and endurance at the price of durability. For others that aren't Placeholders they become apart of the Creature making them the Diseased." The rabbit paused biting her lower lip, debating on how she should continue. "The Creature's are previous Placeholder some of which spiraled into insanity or just decided that they wanted more."

Alec looked at the albino swallowing the lump in his throat. "What do you mean by more, exactly?"

The albino shrugged at him. "What is the definition of more? It depends on the context on which you are asking about. In this context" The white rabbit just looked irritated at what she was thinking. "No one knows. It could be a variety of things. And the fact that all of the placeholders decided to have a truce is a testament to how bad the threat has grown. To the point where we need another role holder." She looked at Alec and Alec looked right back at her. "An Alice."

Alec stunned for a moment couldn't stop himself from laughing. When he looked at the raised eyebrow of the White Rabbit he couldn't stop the feeling that she was serious. Coughing as he stared at her, and leaned back resting his hands behind his head as he stared at the ruined ceiling.

"I'm not a girl though and I'm a writer. How can I be Alice?"

The White Rabbit sighed as if she was getting tired of this conversation, but to her credit she answered the question anyways.

"The places aren't chosen by gender their chosen by how component someone is. The best example of this is our new Queen of Hearts. He's fabulous and does his job to the best of his ability. In fact he was the one who decided to make alliances with the other placeholders. And being a writer sounds boring, I think you need to experience the highs and lows for you to be a successful writer. What better way than to go through life and death experiences and come out alive?"

The sudden enraged screech that sounded from the abyss had Alec pulling his feet off of the ledge and inching back away. While the rabbit just looked down into the seeping darkness with intrigue.

"Sounded like the previous Queen hit rock bottom." With a chuckle she turned to the petrified Alec, before pulling her legs up from the ledge and standing. She extended a hand in his direction. "C'mon Alice, its time to go down the rabbit hole."

Glancing down at the proverbial olive branch, he couldn't stop the question that was bubbling up in his mind. "What if I don't want to go? What happens then?"

The White Rabbit sighed and checked her wristwatch. "Then I'll leave you here to play with the dear old Queen. Because I'm going to be late and I don't much care which option you choose. You. Just. Have. To. Choose."

The sound of shrieking was getting closer the ledge where they were previously sitting crumbling as it shook with the weight of the Creature.

The White Rabbit still faced him as she dropped her arm to take out her pistols. Casually reloading the guns as she hummed. Red eyes locked with blue:

"Your answer?"

Alec probably should have thought his answer through more but when the creature appeared behind the White Rabbit he couldn't stop his mind from acting on instinct.

"Yes!"

The malicious smile came back onto her face as she locked eyes with him.

"Good."

The fight didn't seem to last very long after that. White Rabbit obviously had a thing about being late like in the storybook version but was a lot more deadly here. Watching as she literally ripped through the Creature and then continued to shoot it when it was dead caused a shudder of revulsion to roll through his stomach. Watching her kick the already decaying corpse of the creature down the abyss.

Pulling herself from her work to look at the sickened form of her charge she sighed at him. "Alright lets go Alice we have a time frame to keep."

And with that the White Rabbit opened a door that lead to a drop and shoved him into the hole. Before locking the door behind her and jumping in as well.


	3. Welcome to Wonderland

Falling is the worst feeling ever, all of that talk about it being freeing is absolute bullshit. Being pushed down an endless hole that leads to god-only-knows-where, is a sure fire sign that he fucked up. Glaring mutinously at the White rabbit who just looked bored, Alec didn't have time to swear as ground quickly approached. Watching as that damn smug rabbit gracefully landed on the balls of her feet. Just a few meters away from the graceless form Alec, as he face planted on the ground.

Hands stuffed into the pockets of her white as snow pants, White Rabbit turned her head to see Alec still lying face down on the ground groaning in pain.

Worst Alice in the history of Alice's.

Sighing she pulled out a vial from her pants pocket and kneeled in front of Alec. Holding his head between her index finger and thumb the White Rabbit lifted his head up to look at her. Pushing himself up Alec sat with his legs sprawled out.

"Drink this, it will help with the leg." Holding the pink concoction in the palm of her hand, she let Alec choose.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he took the vial from her hand and gently unscrewed the cap. Watching her as she checked her wrist watch again as he tilted the vial back about to drink, before he paused. Looking back at her he couldn't help but ask:

"What is it that I'm drinking, exactly? It's not poison is it?"

Raising an eyebrow at her charge she glanced one last time at her watch before pulling her black glove over it. "There really would be no point in poisoning you after all of the work I had to do to just get you here. Honestly killing you would just be a waste of my time." White Rabbit threw Alec a pointed look towards the vial. "The liquid in that concoction should help with your leg and should also keep the Diseased off of you."

Looking at the vial Alec sighed before giving a quick jerk of his head. Closing his eyes as he opened his mouth and drained the contents of the vial. The gel like liquid slowly oozing out of the container as it slithered its way down his throat.

Nearly choking on the vile substance as it was drowned leaving an unpleasant after taste in Alec's mouth and causing his stomach to twist uncomfortably in revulsion. Groaning in pain as he glanced down at his ankle looking over in shock as the swelling seemed to decrease and feeling the ligaments slowly reattach themselves to the bone.

Looking around to get his bearings Alec noticed that the White Rabbit had her back towards him. Deciding to break the tension Alec began to move towards the rabbit slowly testing out his now functioning leg. He came up beside the White Rabbit he looked at the scenery of trees and then the crumbling ruins of buildings on the far outskirts. And in the middle there was a pristine clock tower.

"Where am I?"

White Rabbit looked at him like he was the one who was insane, she was probably right about thinking that too. White Rabbit smiled without humor as she appraised the new Alice.

"This is Wonderland, or what is actually left of it." She pointed to a palace covered in decaying heart patterns that were still distinguishable even from this distance away. Watching as the zenith of the heart couldn't be supported and crashed into the ground shocking everything around it. "When the Placeholders first turned we had no way of killing them. We, the stupid people that we are, decided to pit Placeholders against their counterparts of the Creatures. That there is the effect of having too many Placeholders in one place trying to kill each other." She looked at the decrypted castle with forlorn, "Heart Castle was the first one to fall, then the Hatter's Mansion, and last was the Amusement Park. The only reason the Clocktower, Clover Tower and the Circus haven't fallen yet is because their locations alternate and they've always had a separate set of rules that they'd followed."

Alec swallowed as the crashing heart seemed to shake the very foundation of the ground that they were standing on. "What happened to the rest of the placeholders then? Surely they're still alive….right?"

The scoff that escaped from the albino caused him to turn towards her, as if sensing his confusion she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes:

"Being alive is a very subjective way to describe things here. Yes some of the placeholders survived the initial attack of the Creatures but when it became apparent that our counterparts only get stronger when faced with their matching set, it almost made us become extinct." The White Rabbit turned and started to walk down the path towards the forest, Alec followed so that he could hear the rest of the insane explanation. "Thus the rules changed. To ensure survival of the Placeholders the rules had to evolve to match the situation. The solution: having Placeholders be able to do more roles. The effects were what saved us from complete extinction, or maybe it is just hastening it and we are too occupied with this threat to see it. Who knows?"

Ignoring the White Rabbit in favor of taking a moment to gather his wits. Alec stared at his surroundings, not being able to shake the feeling that he jumped out of the frying pan skipped the fire and somehow, some-fucking-how landed straight into hell itself.

Taking in the deserted scenery and the dying decaying trees of the forest. Dirt and sand covering what he could only speculate used to be a vibrant and vivacious colors and animals. Black tar like substance slithering like a lover's caress down the dying bark of an old tree, before pooling down at the base. The tar like substance began to gurgle, and move as more of the thick paste dribbled down into the ever expanding pool of filth.

Eyes still warily watching the bubbling mass Alec swallowed the saliva that formed in his mouth as the words of the rabbit rang through his head. "So this place is in total anarchy? That's just wonderful." Alec shuddered at the thought of more people like this rabbit, "Is everything going to go straight to hell now that you have 'Alice'?"

A different voice answered in the stead of the the hoarse alto he was used to, this one was more melodic. "More of a dystopia actually, Anarchy implies that there is no authority to respect." Jerking around to come face to face with a…. Cat-human-woman-thing?

God if he ever got out of this place he would land himself right in a psych-ward.

Taking an uneasy step back he glared at the hybrid with more than a little suspicion. Mind racing as he examined her. Dark magenta hued hair cast in unruly curls that cascaded down past her shoulders, tan almost golden complexion with saffron colored irises with black sclera, purple lips pulled into a would be sensual smile if the razor sharp fangs weren't there. Cat ears perked up in curiosity as her tail swished lazily from side to side. Left hand resting on her hip as her right twirled a dagger effortlessly around her fingers; like how someone would move a coin between their four fingers.

The only word that would describe the look she gave him would be.

Predatory.

Great. Fucking Great.

Teal eyes narrowed as she practically stalked towards him, "I often wonder what's going on in the White Rabbit's head," she paused (probably for dramatic effect Alec assumed) "What is interesting though is that she chose you, of all people. I mean knowing her, she probably convinced you to drink that vile liquid." The look the purple cat gave him was a cross between inquisitory and vicious. "And, she also probably convinced you jump to down her rabbit hole without giving you a sense of what is up, what is up down." The suddenly wicked grin came onto her face as she leaned in close to Alec, purple lips brushing against his ear, "And most importantly…. What is the way out?"

Alec yanked himself away from the hybrid, "How do you know the White Rabbit. I mean," The self satisfied smirk that she had on her face had Alec verbally and physically back peddling a slight flush overtaking his features. "There's an actual way to get out of this place?" The excitement building in his voice.

The cat looked at him with a sly smirk, eyes glinting with mirth as she waved her left hand in open space. The sudden light that formed behind her hand as it took the shape of a door and solidified. Watching as Alec looked in awe the magic dispersed and a wooden door stood in the place of empty space. The cat's calculating gaze turned towards Alec as he stared slack jawed at the blatant use of the magic. Before she intercepted him shoving him back as she turned on the balls of her feet calling over her shoulder;

"Welcome to Wonderland, Alice. I'm eager to see what all kinds of trouble you'll get into." With that she sauntered over to the door pausing and thinking for a moment she called over her shoulder, "Just in case you haven't figured it out, my role is the Chesire Cat. Lets see if you can keep my interest or if I'll have to kill you for being so dreadfully boring."

Is everyone in this place going to be cryptic with him?


	4. Chapter 4

Time, Alec began to realize was a very fickle thing here in "Wonderland". It seemed as if it ebbed and flowed with the moods of the role holders, as cryptic as the two he just met where he could only imagine what the others were like. Currently twilight, at his best guess but with the thick branches blocking the sky it could be the middle of the goddamn afternoon and he still wouldn't be able to tell.

Rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands, Alec began his trek through the ominous woods already knowing that this was a terrible idea to begin with.

Eerily silent except with the steady crunching of dead leaves under his shoes, Alec quickened his pace. Anxiety pulsing through his heart at a steady rhythm, as the wind began an eldritch melody through the decaying tree branches. The feeling of claws ghosting over the nape of his neck, a kin to that of a lover's caress. Jerking away, in an impressive display of agility, Alec turned to look at what had been touching him. Hands fisted at his sides Alec's apprehensive gaze scanned through the ghostly forest. Heart rate skyrocketing as three sets of eyes connected with his own. The thick foliage doing remarkably little to disguise the skeletal arms and the three pronged fingers as it dragged against the surface of a nearby boulder. Watching in belated horror as acid seeped from its nails and burning through the rock face.

Swallowing his panic Alec slowly backtracked, keeping close tabs on the diseased. Bottomless black eyes locked onto Alec's teal, as the mouth split horizontally showing off three rows of razor sharp teeth. Black globs gushed from the unhinged jaws and through the gaps of the deadly teeth, trailing in thick streams down its chin and fell onto the dead leaves and twigs. The Creature looked right at Alec and its mouth twitched before the lipless mouth made a half successful attempt at a smile. Alec felt his blood go cold.

'Oh fuck me.'

To horrified run Alec watched as a second Creature came emerged from beside the first. The second Creature had two heads attached to its neck watching as the heads had the same black ooze running from where their mouth was supposed to be. Instead watching as the vertical line that ran down from between the two heads and to their groin. The creature started to twitch violently before letting out an agonized howl as the Creature started to slowly started to separate. Alec felt his control over his bladder leave him and urge to vomit nearly overcame him. As the intestine of the Second Creature fell out of it and onto the forest floor in a black mass. Where the first stopped staring at Alec and scooped the black entrails and began to eat them much like the diseased from the club. Watching as the Second Creature's tendons began to harden its legs merged together and it began to _slither._

Breathing through his nose Alec counted to three.

One.

The First Creature threw back its head and let out an ear-splitting screech as it lunged through the undergrowth and towards Alec.

Fuck it! Three!

Alec threw himself to the side as the creature plunged it's claws into the dry soil of where Alec was just standing. The acid pooling into the clenched dirt. Before the second creature came darting over the first, blocking Alec's path as its tendrils began to feel for him. Scrambling to his feet Alec avoided the swipe from acid spewing talons and the tendrils, he ran through the never ending forest.

XXXX

Hands stuffed carelessly into her white slacks, the White Rabbit hummed as the serene landscape of the clock tower gardens seemed to encase her. Eyes closed as she took in the scent of roses in the summer air. The sudden weight of another person sprawling across her back as arms wrapped around her waist as sharp fangs nibbled on one elongated rabbit ear.

"I think this Alice is going to be _fun. _Don't you think so Peter?"

Peter shifted uncomfortably as claws buried themselves into her sides, easily piercing through the thick jacket and down into the soft flesh. Shivering as the wind picked up, bringing with it a torrent of unwanted disquietude.

Long ears twitching towards the wind as she tried to listen for her strange charge.

"I think I may have to find a new Alice. If he's going where I think he's going, he'll be dead within the hour."

The claws which were embedding themselves into her waist meticulously detached one at a time. The feeling of sticky wet liquid gluing to her undershirt as the claws found purchase on her hips. Repeating the process again.

Peter's companion hummed in thought, before viciously digging their claws into her hips, tearing through the muscle and scraping against the bone. Claws digging upward towards the attackers palm as if trying to literally rip Peter apart.

Hissing through clenched teeth as one hand balled into a fist, and the other gripped the wrist of the clawed hand.

"You can't interfere with what is supposed to happen Peter. If he does die however, that does put an unintentional complication in our plans." The words were breathed against Peter's neck, the moisture dampening the sweat slicked alabaster skin. "It would be such a _shame_ to have to kill you based off a technicality. Don't you agree?"

Breathing heavily through her nose trying to breathe through the pain. Throat spasming as Peter swallowed thickly, nodding her agreement.

Claws detaching their hold from Peter's hips the presence removed themselves from their sprawling. Peter turned to see the Cheshire Cat absently licking the drying blood from her claws. Eyes half lidded casting a sultry smile at a shaking White Rabbit the Cheshire Cat giggled.

"Oh, come on Petey~, we both know that that was barely even a love pat."

Peter glared at the wild card, with active disdain.

"Boris, we also both know what happens when a roleholder loses to a Creature. You don't see many people lining up for that do you?"

Boris snickered with unrepentant glee, as Peter placed her glowing hand against her wounds. Red eyes wearily watching her-self appointed partner's long tail idly flick back and forth. Inwardly groaning to herself, Peter resisted the urge to shoot the stupid cat. Instead she pulled down her glove to check the time.

"Boris what are you doing here? I have a meeting with the Queen in a few minutes and since you decided to take up my break I'm going to be late."

The ever present smile was suddenly wiped from Boris's face, in a rare moment of sobriety. Her ears twitching nervously, saffron irises glancing around the enclosed clock tower gardens. Swallowing thickly Boris leaned in close, voice barely above a hushed whisper.

"I've been looking into all of the Alice's that we've had. You know the ones that died here."

"What about them?"

Boris looked irritated at Peter, who was deliberately being obtuse. Rolling her eyes Boris managed to keep her voice barely above a whisper, "What if they aren't actually dead?"

Peter's eyes narrowed incredulously, as she stared at Boris.

"What do you mean by that? We all saw the last Alice die from the Creatures."

Boris adamantly shook her head in refusal.

"No, we saw her get swarmed and dragged into the lower levels of Heart Castle by the Creatures, before we lost sight of her. Hell, for all we know they could all still be alive."

Peter sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose feeling a headache coming on as she deals with randomized conspiracy theories from Boris.

"Look Boris, let's say you're right. How does that help us? More importantly how does it benefit the Creatures to have that many Alice's in one place?"

Boris frowned, eyebrows drawing together in a look of severe contemplation. Peter looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Don't hurt yourself."

"Look so I don't know all that I would have liked but don't _you_ of all people want to know what happened to those you were closest to. I mean what if Alex is actually alive-"

Boris was cut off when the clock tower bell rang, but that wasn't why she stopped speaking. Peter's red eyes had gone cold and both of her weapons were drawn, hands clenched around her twin pistols as her index finger twitched over the trigger.

Peter's voice soft but the coldness of it was like an ice age personified with only a single word.

"Leave."

Boris swallowed the buildup of saliva congregating in her mouth. Before nodding and waving her hand at an empty space in the garden. Her magic door appeared, before she stepped through it she called over her shoulder.

"Don't let this Alice become like Alex. We can't afford to have you taking suicidal risks to avenge the ones you lost... again."

As the door disappeared Peter tsked at the empty space before checking her watch.

"That stupid cat made me late."

XXXXX

Gasping in pain as Alec ran, muscles cramping in the worst possible ways as he dodged random branches, unearthed roots and conveniently placed boulders. Lungs screaming for a reprise from the exhausting chase, but the sound of the Creatures gaining on him caused him to ignore his own body in favor of survival. Mind frantic as he looked for any place to hide he noticed that he was running out of path.

Sliding as his feet lost traction against the forest floor, as he nearly came barrelling over the side of a cliff. Gulping in air at the much needed break from running in soiled pants, Alec thought frantically over what he should do. He could jump off of the cliff and die a pretty awful death, or he could keep running and let those monsters make him run to death.

What marvelous choices he had.

Swallowing the lump in his throat he began to look around. To the left he had more of that delightful forest. Straight ahead he had a cliff, with pointy rocks. And on door number three he had a creepy mansion to go with the equally creepy forest.

Groaning at his lack of options Alec shucked off his pants and underwear and threw both articles of clothing over the cliff. After he grabbed some of the moist soil and rubbed it over himself before running racing over to a hollow tree and ducking into it. Holding his breath as the Creatures both burst through the clearing. The first squawking and jumping over the side of the cliff in an exaggerated leap.

The second creature let out a deafening howl and began to pace around the area, before stopping in front of Alec's hiding spot. The tendrils slithering from its body tasting the air in front of Alec before moving slowly forward.

Alec moved back holding in a whimper and turning his head as the tendril just about touched him. Before yanking back as if burned, and screeching before stumbling backwards towards the cliff and collapsing off of it.

Blinking in shock Alec placed a trembling hand against his face. Letting out a hysterical laugh, his legs collapsed from under him.

Back pressed against the hollow tree Alec's hysterical laughter morphed into hysterical sobs, that rocked his whole body. Pulling his knees up to his chin he clenched his arms tightly around himself, burrowing his head into his knees he stayed there.


End file.
